$@*#ing Pockets

While the rest of the knitting world was away at Maryland Sheep and Wool, I was sewing #%#!ing pockets.  After much effort I present:

Project: Mademoiselle Jacket
Pattern Source: Classic Knits by Erika Knight
Yarn: Rowan Natural Silk Aran in Aero
Yardage: 15 balls (about 1065 yards)
Started: April 9, 2007
Finished: May 6, 2007
Yarn Source: Knit Happens
Needles: 4.5 mm (US 7)
Gauge: About 4.5-4.75 stitches to the inch in stst
Modifications: Sigh

Okay, so before I dive in, understand that I really like the finished jacket.  Okay?  Alrighty then...

I hate this yarn.  It will not get the published gauge.  Ever.  I knit on different size needles, metal needles, bamboo needles, wet block, steam block.  I eventually gave up.  Worst part was that it lost the nice crunchy texture and ended up feeling limp after blocking.  I am never knitting with this yarn again.  Ever.

The pattern was also really annoying.  I eventually stopped keeping track of the number of places that there were mistakes (how often do you find spelling mistakes in a knitting patterns).  Starting at the beginning, the finished size measurements on the introductory page do not correspond to the actual pattern.  If you take the number of stitches that you cast on for the size that I knit, divide it by the number of stitches per inch, you get a measurement that has absolutely no bearing on the finished size listed at the beginning of the patter.  There were countless places where the instructions said to work a certain number of rows and end up on the wrong side, when if you work that number of rows you will end up on the right side.  Decreases and increases were screwy.  I'm an expert at reading Rowan-style knitting patterns, and thank heavens I am or I never would have made it through. 

Thing is that even after all of that, there was one instruction that nearly put me over the edge.  "Sew on Pockets."  No further explanation.  No indication (other than the picture) as to where they should go.  Hell is trying to sew pockets on to a garment with yarn that shows every error.  The sweater was actually done before the end of April, I just couldn't sew the pockets on to my satisfaction. 

All that said, I love the finished sweater.  It fills a giant hole in my spring wardrobe.  It's easy to wear and very elegant. 

It's just that it made me crazy!

Comments

[Ann]

Well, the finished product looks great, so all your frustrations were worth *something* ... I had similar issues with that yarn when I did the cabled crew - I really liked the way it changed texture, but felt like it should come with a warning about gauge being impossible...

[Elspeth]

The sweater may have made you crazy, but it looks so gorgeous on you (the color! the fit! the vavavoom!) I can't get over it. Well done, Katie!

[nicole]

The sweater looks just fantastic. I feel your pain -- I've struggled with Rowan's patterns as well -- but this paid off! Nice job.